Day4 - Tuesday - Half Day Jeep Tour and groceries

 Happy Tuesday everyone! I truly hope you guys are having an amazing week getting ready for Christmas no matter where you are! I am seriously enjoying this week in Aruba… The weather is phenomenal and the people are even better! 

 Today's tour was by El Tours and it is called the Half-day Jeep Safari Tour. We were picked up at the hotel at about 8:15 AM and then taken to our jeeps.

This is a picture of the jeep that we were given. Since I am only one person and these are four person jeeps, I was paired up with a wonderful couple from Toronto. They made it so much fun to be on the tour and we all just kept switching drivers.

This is our first stop on the tour. It is called the California lighthouse. It was erected because the ship California crashed off the shore of the island.

This is a view from the lighthouse to the water…

This is a little gecko that was chilling in the parking lot…

And this is the second stop on the tour. It was just a random beach that the tour guide called Alien Beach-LOL! The beach has no name but people come and build little towers and make wishes on them.

The water in the surf is absolutely beautiful!

I love this little inlet of water…

Here is me with my tower that I built. I can't tell you what I wished for but I have no doubt it will come true now!

And this is just a view of how many little towers are built there…

Next stop on the tour is the chapel.

And there is a little peace labyrinth outside of the chapel.

I was really excited to try the peace labyrinth but there was not a lot of peace there today… LOL! The family had a little girl there and she was just screaming and yelling and running in circles  the whole time.

This little plaque tells you all about the chapel.

The next stop was the Baby Natural Bridge. It is a smaller natural Bridge because the large natural bridge broke during a hurricane here on the island. These two were of the wonderful couple from Toronto that were in my jeep with me. Such a great couple and so very nice!

Beautiful beach!

I could look at those waves all day!

And here is the natural Bridge… This is looking at it from underneath.

And a little zoomed in version… It was really need to stand under it.

And the tour guide got my picture on top of it!

This is the view from the top of the bridge… Beautiful coastline! People don't swim or surf here due to the rocks. Further down the beach is where they surf and kite sail.

Next to the last stop was the Bushiribana Goldmill Ruins... 

 When they found gold on the island of Aruba, they built this area to smash the rock and extract the gold. The tour guy said they only use the building for about 10 years and this is what is left of it. Sadly, I found no gold.

This is a view from one of the windows up top…

And this is the view out one of the windows up top…

It's amazing how they build these huge structures using these giant rocks back in the days when they had no hydraulics or equipment. Crazy to think how they got these huge boulders so high in the air!

Another view from the top…

 And our last and final stop on the tour was the Ayo rock formation .  This is the largest rock formation on the island.

Look at this cute little cactus growing all by itself… It was like 6 inches tall.

Back when the first island inhabitants lived around and used these rock formations… This big rock is where the medicine man lived. He could be found under this rock helping people with his medicinal cures.

They have actually locked it to preserve all of the drawings on the wall.

I did not take this picture for the sign… Can you see the cat? I couldn't at first but I got a picture in the direction that the tour guide was pointing. Then I found the cat!

And here's another photo of that same stray cat… Can you see him in this one?

And this cactus is my hero. You have to give this thing credit look where it's growing from! Wow talk about a will to live!

I love this tree and my tour guide Randall is right there in the blue shirt too! He was phenomenal and an amazing tour guide! Really really funny too! Only one rule on this tour… Don't fall!

This is the view from the bottom looking to the top of the formation…

Hey look another cat! Look at what a cute cat this one is… black, white and brown! I think maybe I'm missing my cats…there is no mouse problem here in Aruba. The cats catch all the mice but now the locals are worried that the cats are going to eat all the lizards.

A little selfie from the top of the rock stairs…

Of you looking up from the bottom…

And this is the view looking down from the top…

Another view from the top to the bottom… The tour was phenomenal and I had such a great day with the couple that I got to spend time with!

 After the tour was over I went back to my hotel and showered. I was so muddy and dusty! Afterword; I went and grabbed my car and drove down to the grocery store. I have been craving chocolate or a sweet treat for my room at night so I went and bought a few supplies at the grocery store. 

I stopped on my way back to the hotel to pick up dinner at Red Fish. I loved this restaurant last year and could not wait to eat there again!  I got fresh, grilled mahi-mahi and they always give you rice, coleslaw and fried plantains! Yum! 

 Well, that's it for day four! After I ate my dinner in my room; I headed down to the casino. I put my $20 in and tonight is the first night that I lost. Bummer! So now here I am back in my room! It is about 8:30 pm as I'm laying here in my hotel room writing this post. 

Nighty night to you all! I wish you all  happiness and blessings!!!

Hugs!!!